You do not have, because you do not ask. James 4:2
Based on a discussion with a good friend and brother in Christ, I sought greater clarity on core questions of prayer, including the extent to which God hears and responds to prayer. This morning I had doubt about how God does respond to prayers given I agree with John Piper's view - expressed in his book Providence - on how God is sovereign over all details in life. I could not reconcile how God could change course on any aspect of how He is sovereign, as I have often read about how nothing can stop God's will from coming to pass.
This post from DesiringGod.com helps resolve much of my doubt. Key to this post are distinctions made between God's will of command and His will of decree. While we can, particularly over time as we grow in our understanding of His Word, understand God's will of command as scripture lays this out for us to understand, we can't grasp God's will of decree (certainly not in advance!). There is also often tension between these two wills - for example as the post uses do not murder as an explicit command from the Ten Commandments as an example of God's will of command. Yet at the same time, we see how Jesus was murdered as being an example of God's will of decree. It is not for today for me to unpack and reconcile how God's will may be in conflict in terms of what He commands and what He decrees. The core focus for my examination today is to look at whether God responds to prayer and the extent to which perhaps God adjusts His course in the context of His will of decree.
Piper writes the following on the question of whether prayer is pointless:
"A common response to this conclusion is that it seems to make prayer
pointless, because answered prayer happens only when God has decreed
that something be done. Wouldn’t the decreed event happen anyway? So why
pray?
But that kind of response does not come from careful biblical thinking. Careful thinking would see that God really does things in response to prayer. “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2). God wills that events be caused by prayer. And careful biblical thinking would also see that, just as God decrees effects, he also decrees the causes of those effects. As he decrees ends, so he decrees means. As he decrees that a straying saint repent and return, so he decrees the prayers that bring him back.
Prayer is a real cause of real events in this world. God has willed it to be so. And so it is."
Piper's post also offers thoughts on how we should pray: out of humility, out of recognition that we make mistakes, and how we should pray using words "if it is Your will."
I am encouraged to pray - and we all should be.
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - I know You hear my prayers, and I know that You respond to prayers - thank You Jesus for never leaving or forsaking me and for encouraging me to bring my prayers and burdens to You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and sposues to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
